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Camellia Bowl The 2015 Camellia Bowl featured a match-up between the Texas State Bobcats and the Western Michigan Broncos. Despite the big game from Western Michigan QB Ryan Pearson (322 passing yards, 2 TD's), the Bobcats controlled this game from start to finish. The 34 to 20 win gave the Bobcats 7 wins on the season. Texas State football had a good year and should be able to build on a better than expected season.

DXL Frisco Bowl The 2015 DXL Frisco Bowl saw the North Texas Mean Green square off against the Temple Owls in what was essentially a home game for the Mean Green. North Texas came out strong, controlled the ball throughout the game, and dominated on the scoreboard. A 33 to 12 victory sure is a nice way to end the season.

Glidan New Mexico Bowl The 2015 Glidan New Mexico Bowl brought together the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and the Colorado State Rams. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead and cruised to an easy victory. This was a disappointing showing from the Rams, who came into the game as only a 3 point underdog. Strong game performance from Louisiana Tech FS Eddie Stallings (2 INT's and 9 tackles).

Cure Bowl No other way to say it; this was a terrible game. While the Cure Bowl is for a great cause and brings much needed attention to a serious issue, the 2015 game was bad. With a combined 9 points total, neither Coastal Carolina and Connecticut looked up for playing an extra game. Aside from the solid running performance of Coastal Carolina RB Reginald Barkely (130 yards rushing on 20 carries; 6.50 YPC), no other player really stood out. #kickingfieldgoalsisboring ***Commentary on actual BBCF game. While I love playing this game and have no intention to stop, I really don't like how the game allows a 5 win team to make a playoff game. If I had my way, a team could not make a playoff game unless they had a winning percentage of at least .500% going into the game.***

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl The Big Easy is always a fun place to be; even more so when it is to play in the 2015 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. On paper, the Appalachian State Mountaineers should have steamrolled the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. On the field, it was a different story. The Hilltoppers jumped out to a 10-0 1st quarter lead only to see the Mountaineers come back with 13 unanswered points in the 2nd quarter. Not to be outdone though, Western Kentucky dominated the 3rd quarter with 14 unanswered points. Leading by a score of 31 to 13 early in the 4th quarter, it looked like the Hilltoppers were going to get the upset victory. That is when the Mountaineers decided to start playing again; running off 18 points to close the 4th quarter and send the game into OT. The game quickly came to an end when the Mountaineers scored on a short running play and their defense was able to hold the Hilltoppers at the goal line. What a game!

Las Vegas Bowl Viva Las Vegas! The 2015 Las Vegas Bowl brought the Washington State Cougars to Sin City to take on the Fresno State Bulldogs. The Bulldogs not only came into the game with the #25 ranked defense and the #28 ranked offense, they were looking for their 10th win of the season. And they did just that; finally topping the Huskies by a score of 24 to 21. Nice win by the Bulldogs and great to see a "lesser" conference knocking out one of the big boys.

SoFi Hawaii Bowl Nothing like traveling to paradise to play some football. The 2015 SoFi Hawaii Bowl featured a match-up between the San Diego State Aztecs and the Memphis Tigers. While the Aztecs possess a few next-level talent players & feature an offense ranked #26 in the Nation (420.2 YPG) and defense ranked #17 in the Nation (allow 317.3 YPG), the Tigers were heavily favored in this one. Memphis came into the bowl game on a 4 game win streak, having a nationally ranked offense (#17 - 458.3 YPG) and defense (#11 - allow 313.9 YPG), and looking to get to 10 wins on the season. While they ultimately didn't disappoint, the Tigers sure took their sweet time to get things going. At the 8:02 mark in the 2nd quarter, Memphis only led by a score of 6 to 3. They looked sluggish, sloppy, and not playing like a top level team. Not sure what actually clicked, but over the remaining 2 1/2 quarters of play, the Tigers would go on to score 44 unanswered points to blow out the Aztecs by a score of 50 to 3. QB Ian Goldsmith led the way, passing for 303 yards and 4 TD's.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl The 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl brought together a match-up of the Eastern Michigan Eagles taking on the Nevada Wolfpack. With game day temps a frigid 33 Idaho degrees as the teams took the field, Nevada jumped out to an early lead, and was up 13 to 3 at the half. Eastern Michigan came out for the second half finally ready to play, and took the lead 17 to 16 going into the 4th quarter. Despite the momentum (and being the better team on paper), the Eagles could not hold onto the lead, as the Wolfpack scored on a 54 yard touchdown throw from QB Thomas Ingram to WR Kenneth Moore. Despite the missed XP, Nevada was able to run out the clock and get the win.

Dollar General Bowl The 2015 Dollar General Bowl featured a match-up between the #13 Troy Trojans and the Akron Zips. Troy came into the game a 17 point favorite, and possessing the Nation's #5 ranked defense and #22 ranked offense. While the Trojans got behind early in this one, they were able to take the lead early in the 3rd quarter to hold off the Zips by a score of 28-20. Finishing with 13 wins on the season and a bubble Top 10 ranking, the Troy Trojan faithful have much to be excited about.

Bowl Bound! In a complete surprise announcement, the San Jose State Spartans (6-6) have been invited to take on Texas El-Paso Miners (6-6) in the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl. Really excited to get a bowl invite in my first season leading the team, and clearly far surpassed the expectations I or the game had for the Spartans. I like my chances in this game -- Let's go bowling!

Grey Dog Championship Series Rankings Here it is, the final GDCS ranking prior to the start of the bowl & playoff season. In a surprise result, the TCU Horned Frogs jumped to the #4 spot and knocked Miami out of the playoff round. Here we go...

Week 16: Top 25 Media Poll In the final regular season Top 25 poll prior to the start of the bowl season & playoff games, the Clemson Tigers (13-0) remained in the #1 spot. While Penn State maintained its #2 spot, the Washington Huskies (12-1) jumped to the #3 spot with its 27 to 20 win over USC. Miami fell to the #4 spot, and TCU rounding out the top 5.

Week 16: Recap Week 16 brought some outstanding Conference Championship games. ACC: Clemson (13-0) beat Miami (12-1) by the pathetic score of 8 to 3. Big10: Iowa (11-2) topped Ohio State (11-2) 36 to 30. Big 12: TCU (12-1) thumped Oklahoma (11-2) 59 to 12. PAC12: Washington (12-1) beat USC (11-2) 27 to 20. MTN West: Boise State (12-1) topped Fresno State (9-4) 29 to 22. SEC: Auburn (11-2) barely beat Georgia (12-1) in a classic shootout by a score of 54 to 51. MAC: Ohio (10-3) upset Northern Illinois (11-2) by a score of 26 to 3. C-USA: Marshall (10-3) got the win over Alabama-Birmingham (11-2) 29 to 14.

Grey Dog Championship Series Rankings Following the Top 25 shakeup, the GDCS also experienced change. Though Clemson maintained its top spot, Penn State took over the #2 spot. Rounding out the top 5 were Miami, USC, Oklahoma. Some nice surprises with Troy at #11, USF at #12, Boise State at #20, and UCF at #24.

Week 15: Top 25 Media Poll Chaos in the Week 15 rankings. While Clemson (12-0) maintained its #1 ranking, former #2 Georgia fell four (4) spots to #6 despite crushing Georgia State 76 to 10. For reasons unknown Miami, Oklahoma, and USC moved up despite being on a bye-week. Not sure what the game logic is behind those moves. Would note that Boise State (11-1) moved up to the #17 ranking, Stanford (9-3) is back in the Top 25, and Michigan fell out of the rankings. Conference Championship games next week, so some real big match-ups that could dramatically affect the rankings.

Week 15: Recap Week 15 was rivalry week. Some nice games in these historic match-ups: #18 Virginia Tech (10-2) beat Virginia (3-9) 39 to 23 #23 Alabama (9-3) topped #15 Auburn 26 to 16 #9 Ohio State (11-1) bested Michigan (8-4) 31 to 20 #20 Mississippi State (10-2) thumped Mississippi (2-10) 44 to 0 #6 Georgia (12-0) demolished Georgia Tech (4-8) 76 to 10 #1 Clemson (12-0) beat South Carolina (7-5) 51 to 23 Outstanding player performances:

San Jose State 24 --- Coastal Carolina 19 They did it -- Six (6) wins on the season. It was not a fun game for Spartans QB Tony Lima (8 for 24, 96 passing yards), but the running game of John Moreno (106 rushing yards on 28 carries, 1 TD) provided just enough to get the victory. Moreno finished the year with 1,126 rushing yards. Turnovers played a big part in this game. San Jose State (6-6) capitalized on a pick-6 by CB James Mobley to get out to an early lead. Not to be outdone through, Coastal Carolina (6-6) turned 2 John Moreno fumbles into 10 points in their desperate comeback attempt. Loved seeing the Spartans end the year on a good note. While a bowl game is highly unlikely, it was still a good end to the season.

Week 15: Preview of Coastal Carolina v. San Jose State Week 15 is here and the San Jose State Spartans (5-6) are set to play their final game of the year; welcoming the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (6-5) to Brooks Stadium. Despite the fact that the Chanticleers have the pregame analysis advantage in Offense, Defense, and Special Teams, the Spartans are still somehow favored to win the game. In what has already been a difficult year for Spartans QB Tony Lima, he now must face a defense that is ranked #3 in the Nation against the pass. Hope that RB John Moreno can finish out the year on a strong game and surpass the 1,100 yard rushing mark on the season. Lastly, have 2-star CB recruit Chris Reeves coming to watch the game -- hope he likes what he sees. Really would love to see the team get to six (6) wins on the season. Not only would that make the Spartans "bowl eligible," it would have far surpassed any realistic expectation I (or the game) had for them. #youcandothis!

Grey Dog Championship Series Rankings With the season soon coming to an end, every percentage point in the GDCS rankings matters now more than ever. Clemson and Georgia are sitting with a nice lead in the #1 and #2 spot. While #3 Penn State is still within striking distance, the separation from there widens considerably. The next grouping of Oklahoma, USC, and Miami will need some miracles to happen in order to leapfrog the top teams.

Week 14: Top 25 Media Poll The Week 14 poll is out and the Clemson Tigers (11-0) remain the #1 team in the Nation. While Georgia (11-0) and Penn State (11-1) remained in their respective #2 and #3 positions, the Oklahoma Sooners (11-1) took over the #4 spot from the now #5 USC Trojans (11-1). Among the notable moves, the Troy Titans (11-1) are now ranked #14 in the Nation, the Boise State Broncos (11-1) moved up to the #21 spot, and the Northern Illinois Huskies (11-1) now occupy the #25 spot in the poll.

Week 14: Recap Week 14 recap of offensive and defensive outstanding game performances, along with the game of the week. Oklahoma (11-1) v. Oklahoma State (10-2) game did not disappoint, with the Sooners staging an epic comeback in the 4th quarter to pull out the road win. With the win, the Sooners remain in the hunt for a top spot in the rankings and upcoming playoffs. With a reduced game schedule, a lot of the big name teams were not in action, so the spotlight was, for a change, shinning on some of the lesser schools and players. Nice to see players from teams like Georgia State, Wyoming, Louisiana Lafayette, UNLV, Tulsa, etc... getting some recognition on the player leader board this week. Even a few of the San Jose State Spartan players made an appearance on the player leader board. #notgoingtohappenagain.

Western Kentucky University 17 --- San Jose State 0 What an ugly loss for the Spartans (5-6). While they were able to keep the score at a 3-0 deficit heading into the 4th quarter, the Hilltoppers (6-6) scored 2 TD's to put the game away. San Jose State RB John Moreno had 101 rushing yards (on 27 carries; 3.74 YPC) on the day, to bring his season total to 1,020 rushing yards. Not to be outdone though was Hilltoppers RB Jose Ostrander who ran off 148 yards rushing on the day. What a let down!

Week 14: Preview of San Jose State v. Western Kentucky University Week 14 sees the San Jose State Spartans (5-5) traveling to take on the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers (5-6). While the Hilltoppers have the better offense, the Spartans are shown to have a much better defense and have a slight overall advantage in the pregame analysis. I think if they can stop RB Jose Ostrander and keep control of the ball, the Spartans should be able to win this game. Would love to see them get to 6 wins on the season. #bowleligible?

Grey Dog Championship Series Rankings No real surprises here. The Clemson Tigers (11-0) and Georgia Bulldogs (11-0) are sitting in the top 2 spots. With just a few weeks left, these two teams are hoping they can make it through the upcoming conference championship games. Must point out that Boise State (10-1) is ranked #22 in the GDCS, and ranked #14 in the computer poll.

Week 13: Top 25 Media Poll Another week, another new #1 team. With the Trojans loss to the Huskies, the Clemson Tigers (11-0) are now the #1 ranked team in the Nation. Rounding out the Top 5 are Georgia (11-0), Penn State (11-1), USC (10-1), and Oklahoma (10-1). The biggest move in the polls went to Iowa (9-2), who jumped from #22 to #14 after beating the then #19 Michigan Wolverines (8-3). Alabama (8-3) and Arizona State (8-3) each fell 5 spots in the latest poll; #16 to #21 & #14 to #19. Michigan State fell out of the Top 25 (moving from #24 to #29), with Boise State (10-1) finally cracking the polls at #24. Most teams have a bye-week heading into Week 14, so limited action on the schedule. The top game looks to be a match-up between #5 Oklahoma traveling to take on #10 Oklahoma State (10-1).